Today in History

Associated PressToday is Monday, Nov. 25, the 329th day of 2013. There are 36 days left in the year.Today's highlight:On Nov. 25, 1963, the body of President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery; his widow, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, lighted an "eternal flame" at the gravesite.On this date:In 1783, the British evacuated New York, their last military position in the United States during the Revolutionary War.In 1908, the first issue of The Christian Science Monitor was published.In 1940, the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker made his debut in the animated short "Knock Knock."In 1952, the play "The Mousetrap," a murder mystery by Agatha Christie, first opened in London's West End; it is the longest continuously running show in history.In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a slight stroke.In 1973, Greek President George Papadopoulos was ousted in a bloodless military coup.In 1980, Sugar Ray Leonard regained the World Boxing Council welterweight championship when Roberto Duran abruptly quit in the eighth round at the Louisiana Superdome.In 1986, the Iran-Contra affair erupted as President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels.In 1999, five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida, setting off an international custody battle.In 2001, as the war in Afghanistan entered its eighth week, CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann was killed during a prison uprising in Mazar-e-Sharif, becoming America's first combat casualty of the conflict.In 2002, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security and appointed Tom Ridge to be its head.Ten years ago: The Senate gave final congressional approval to historic Medicare legislation combining a new prescription drug benefit with measures to control costs before the baby boom generation reaches retirement age. Yemen arrested Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal (HAHM'-dee ahl-uh-DAHL'), a top al-Qaida member suspected of masterminding the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen's coast. (Al-Ahdal was later sentenced to three years for the French tanker attack, but was not charged in the Cole case.)Five years ago: President-elect Barack Obama said economic recovery efforts would trump deficit concerns after he took office in January; at the same time, Obama pledged a "page-by-page, line-by-line" budget review to root out unneeded spending. Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to a Virginia dogfighting charge, receiving a three-year suspended sentence.One year ago: Rioters stormed a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters building in northern Egypt on the third day of street battles following a power grab by President Mohammed Morsi. YouTube announced that "Gangnam Style," by South Korean rapper PSY, had become the site's most viewed video of all time, with more than 805 million viewings.Today's Birthdays: Actress Noel Neill is 93. Playwright Murray Schisgal is 87. Actress Kathryn Crosby is 80. Actor Matt Clark is 77. Actor Christopher Riordan is 76. Singer Percy Sledge is 73. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is 73. Author, actor and economist Ben Stein is 69. Singer Bob Lind is 69. Actor John Larroquette is 66. Actor Tracey Walter is 66. Movie director Jonathan Kaplan is 66. Author Charlaine Harris is 62. Retired MLB All-Star Bucky Dent is 62. Dance judge Bruno Tonioli (TV: "Dancing with the Stars") is 58. Singer Amy Grant is 53. Former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar is 50. Rock musician Eric Grossman (K's Choice) is 49. Rock singer Mark Lanegan is 49. Rock singer-musician Tim Armstrong is 48. Actor Steve Harris is 48. Actor Billy Burke is 47. Singer Stacy Lattisaw is 47. Rock musician Rodney Sheppard (Sugar Ray) is 47. Rapper-producer Erick Sermon is 45. Actress Jill Hennessy is 44. Actress Christina Applegate is 42. Actor Eddie Steeples is 40. NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb is 37. Actor Joel Kinnaman is 34. Actress Valerie Azlynn (TV: "Sullivan & Son") is 33. Former first daughter Barbara Bush is 32. Former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager is 32. Actress Katie Cassidy is 27. Contemporary Christian singer Jamie Grace is 22.Thought for Today: "Reject hatred without hating." -- Mary Baker Eddy, American religious leader and founder of The Christian Science Monitor (1821-1910).Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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